1982

I think this is what they call foreshadowing. The Imps started the 82/83 season on fire, smashing all in front of them. Having narrowly missed out on promotion the season before, it seemed as though the Second Division, now the Championship, was beckoning. However, serious financial trouble was looming, with a change of chairman happening before the end of the season.

In August 1982, just a week before the season started and City took 27 points from a possible 33, this was the headline. Gilbert Blades said, “The situation is that last season, a new bonus scheme was negotiated by a previous chairman with the manager. Unfortunately, the details of that scheme did not come before the board of directors until it was signed, sealed and delivered and too late for the directors to do anything about it.”

Ouch.

What followed? A keeper played up front, a post-Christmas collapse and chairman getting death threats.